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Horten Ho 229
}} The Horten Ho 229 was a flying wing prototype aircraft that was developed by Germany during World War II. Description Most of the 229's flight data is derived from its limited prototypes. It was powered by two Junkers Jumo 109-004C jet engines which were capable of propelling the Horten at speeds of up to 1,000 kilometers per hour, meeting the 1,000, 1,000, 1,000 requirement of Reichsmarschal Hermann Göring. However, the most notable part of the design was that it was a complete, flying wing. It had no tail section and combined with its largely wood design had some stealth properties against Allied radar. Like the Me 262 jet fighter, it is arguable that the Horten's potential was also to be wasted by being equipped with two 500 kilogram bombs, to serve as a fighter bomber. Other armament included two 30 mm autocannons. The total weight of the 229 was around 4,600 kg empty with a total length of 7.4 meters.http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=105 Service ceiling was to be around 16,000 meters with an operational range of 1,900 kilometers. Rate of climb meanwhile was around 1,320 meters per minute. The rate of climb was substantially aided by the design itself, lacking a tail section and having a large wing surface area meant less drag and allowed for better climbing capabilities and a far larger operational range. This after all was necessary so that the Horten could carry enough fuel for its Junkers Jumo engines which consumed it at such an alarming rate. Notably, it was reported that the Ho 229 could take off from shorter runways than its competition, the Messerschmitt Me 262, making it the more favourable option in Germany, late in the war. Prototypes In all, only six H.IX Ho 229 prototypes were made; the first of which, designated the V1, was an unpowered glider version which performed favorable in its maiden flight in February 1944. Its successor, the V2 was created in late 1944 to be test flown in 1945.http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19600324000 Unfortunately for the Horten Brothers, the V2 crashed, killing veteran pilot Erwin Ziller when an engine failed in flight on the third test flight. It was a disaster for the project as the V2 had been their latest prototype. However, the brothers were determined to get on with their work and attempted to finish their third prototype, the V3, which was hoped to be fitted with real 30 mm autocannons instead of the simulated weights previous models had been given. The V3, along with the V4 and V5 night fighters, V6 armament trials aircraft and V7 trainer, were found by General Patton's VIII army at the Gotha factory at Friedrichsrode Page 177 and, seeing the V3 was the nearest to completion, sent it back to the United States for study by military engineers. History The development of the H.IX had been going on ever since 1943, when the Horten brothers had been tasked with designing a flying wing aircraft. Reimer Horten had been experimenting with flying wing designs since the early 1930s so the type was a familiar topic for him. Meanwhile, Walter Horten's involvement in JG 26 meant that he both knew of Germany's top secret jet programs and knew of the problems facing German airmen in the field. The brothers then began secret tests on gliders of their own until finally getting the contract to develop the Ho 229. After creating their prototypes, a total of forty aircraft were scheduled for production and frontline service immediately. However, these dreams were never fully realized with the end of the war spelling the end of the Horten project. However, its legacy was once again seen with the creation of the American B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Notes References Category:German Aircraft Category:Wunderwaffen Category:Aircraft Category:Experimental Aircraft Category:Experimental Bombers Category:Experimental Fighters Category:German Fighters Category:Fighters Category:Bombers Category:German Bombers Category:Horten Ho 229